In the past, cord-like articles, such as eyeglass leashes, have been, to a large degree, devoid of attachments having planar surfaces which are positioned tangentially with respect to the cord portion. This is because the desired tangential orientation of the planar surface interferes with conventional clamping or crimping techniques. In the past, sleeves have been crimped to eyeglass leashes through the use of a crimping structure having a deep channel into which a "U"-shaped clamp has been positioned, open end down. The channel includes first and second walls which are slanted with respect to one another so as to be closest to each other at the bottom of the channel and furthest apart at the top of the channel. The bottom of the channel is configured to have a "W"-shaped contour. In operation, a moveable piston is positioned against the closed end of the clamp, which has been positioned in the channel, and applies a downward force to push the clamp into the channel. The legs of the clamp, positioned against the slanting walls of the channel, are caused to move gradually towards each other. When the legs of the clamp come into contact with the "W"-shaped contour of the bottom of the channel, the legs are further turned inwardly and then upwardly. One disadvantage of such an arrangement is that as the clamp is pushed further into the channel by the piston or the like, any planar surfaces attached tangentially to the closed portion of the clamp, such as a medallion, would interfere with the movement of the clamp into the channel.
Other attempts at fastening medallions or the like on an eyeglass leash have included first, the crimping of the sleeve onto the leash and then the gluing of the medallion onto the sleeve. This technique has the disadvantage of a weak bond between the sleeve and the medallion. Typically, the bond offered by glue or the like has a low shear strength. As such, the medallion will separate from the sleeve after a small amount of use.
Ideally, the medallion or other member having planar surfaces will be soldered or welded onto the sleeve prior to attachment to the leash. Heretofore, no satisfactory method and apparatus for attaching a prebonded clamp to a cord-like member has existed.